Life is NOT a static concept. Life IS a dynamic situation and thus open to many approaches and practices despite the concrete aspects of birth and death. In other words the dynamic of life is simply what occurs between the two concretes of birth and death. This could seem limiting or unbelievably open depending on ones perspective.
A simple example can be a sporting event, there is only be one winner and one loser, even after overtime. The real question then becomes – Is life the same? Is this realistic? Do we only have winners and losers? On paper and in thought it may appear this way, but life weaves it’s own rules in-between the concrete facts and you either find beauty and strength in that or not.
Although we could say that life is a zero sum concept (someone must give in order for someone to take), this concept often misses the many points and facets of life that lie in-between. Consider this concept – Apple trees produce a finite amount of fruit and during their peak there are plenty of apples to go around. Not an endless supply of apples but a reasonable bounty from which many can take an apple and eat it. If you arrived too late or out of season there are no apples, but this does not mean you will do without forever. If one is patient and attentive the tree WILL produce more apples later on and you may return to partake of the fruit later on.
Life can be the same way. You may not get an apple the first time. You may not get an apple from the same tree, but if you are persistent and patient you WILL get an apple. The seasons. the timing, the attention and the determination required to get your apple are NO DIFFERENT in life. Unfortunately we are a world short on patience and understanding and thus wars and plights over “apples: have plagued us for lifetimes.
Apple trees do not care or govern the recipients of their fruits and this is where the human conditions of understanding, patience and sharing come into life. We can look for other apple trees, share our apples or WAGE WAR over the fruits, the choices and concepts are ours for the choosing.
Life does not have to be about our scramble for limited resources or stamping MINE on everything we find or encounter. WE share this world, WE conquer our situations and WE move through life whether WE recognize it or not. The real question is not one of apple trees or not, but is more a question of what WE will do with the resources available to US from moment to moment!
Aristotle said – “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” but I personally like the words of Dr Seuss – “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not, it’s not.”
Peace and Love, Jim
